| Call for Bio-waste Directive! |
| 21 July 2010 |
|
At the beginning of July, the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) discussed bio-waste and its treatment throughout all European countries. Bio-waste is constituted by food, garden and organic waste from households and industry (with the exception of wood, agricultural waste and waste water). It is produced in huge quantity, between 118 and 138 million of tons per year, by all European countries who in turn, treat it differently. An average 40% of the total amount produced in Europe is disposed of in landfill, with this value as much higher in some countries for instance, in Poland where it reaches 90%. Only a few European countries collect bio-waste separately from the other kinds of waste: Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, Germany, and Austria, the northern part of Italy, Flanders and Catalonia areas. Bio-waste is abundantly transformed in compost in Germany and Austria, while Denmark and Sweden still burn it. MEPs are convinced that the compulsory separate collection and the recycling of bio-waste could result in environmental and financial benefits (up to two billion Euros). MEPs argue that to achieve this goal, full implementation of the existing legislation and the drafting of a specific directive by the end of the year are needed. In detail, the directive must include: the establishment of a mandatory separate collection system for the Member States, except where this is not an appropriate option from an environmental and economic point of view; the recycling of bio-waste; a quality-based classification of the different types of compost from bio-waste. For further information, please visit this website" |
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